I'm glad they fixed the exploit, and to some extend it's an improvement for raising large flat areas. I have a slightly different complaint, though.

I used it a lot for landscaping; making jagged rocky ridged and outcroppings that had a natural look. Now the tool seems more pragmatic for building, but I do miss the look of the old terraforming. Everything looks too chunky now imo.

I'd like to see a tool mode added to the hoe to get the old spiky behaviour back.